>> this is the "journal" from dw in berlin. >> disbelief and anger over a ratings warning for germany. there is concern about the cost to europe's paymaster i of spain goes bust. >> aleppo under bombardment. syrian rebels said they are gaining ground as rebels fleeing the violence in the city. >> how far is the fight against hiv/aids? the united states says it is in it to win, promising more funds. >> the prospect of europe's biggest economy, germany, losing its cherished aaa credit status

has sparked new anchor in germany at putting the cost of eurozone bay laws, even the politicians and economists argue the moody's downward revision for germany's credit outlook would have little immediate impact on borrowing. >> germans feel the warning is a result of putting themselves on the line for countries like greece and spain that had neglected to make the painful spending cuts in germany did. they are also up in arms that their politicians have failed to make good on promises since 2008 to create an eu-based ratings agency to take the place of groups like moody's. >> it may not look like the eurozone crisis is darkening skies in berlin right now, but moody's is concerned the problems in greece and spain could undermine germany's financial footing. the ratings agency is also worried that german banks could lose billions if borrowers in southern europe default on their debts. that could force berlin to come

to the rescue again and put an even bigger burden on germany's finances and on its taxpayers. >> for decades, germany has been spending more money than the government has been taking in. to fill the summer news slot.ng- i think germany is pretty stable, and nobody should be trying to undermine that with speculation. it just makes matters worse. >> moody's announcement has rekindled debate about the influence of the big u.s.-based ratings agencies. institutional investors are obliged to take their assessments into account, but some analysts question movies' latest outlook for strong eurozone economies -- question moody's latest outlook. >> in the past, we have seen highly our decisions on the part of ratings agencies, and we do not think this ratings downgrade was necessary -- we have seen

highly odd decisions. >> in the german capital, it looks like most people are not letting news of a possible downgrade spoil their summer. >> what is the mood in germany? the government has been playing down this credit warning. is the public buying that approach? >> it is only a credit warning, of course, not an actual downgrading. yes, i think the public is, if i am to judge by the way investors acted at the stock exchange in frankfurt today, and if i look at the editorials published in newspapers that came online 24 hours after moody's made the announcement. i think the reason is because the medium term outlook for the german economy is very, very good. all the economic forecasts are very positive. germany is experiencing economic boom at the moment. people feel that in germany, and there is a feeling that

certainly there is concern about what might happen in the eurozone, but the reason the warning has been made is quite different from the reason it, for example, gave a warning to year ago that it downgraded the rating of the united states. that was because it saw those problems as having huge problems. it does not see germany itself as having a problem. >> you are painting a very rosy picture. could the cut staff and the popular opposition to further eurozone bailouts -- could be cut stiffen -- could the cut stiffen popular opposition? >> i do not think so, but what could happen is that popular -- public opinion could swing against bailouts in the troika -- if the troika comes to the conclusion that the government has been dragging its feet on

reforms. there will be huge pressure on politicians, particularly as we go into an election year, to pull the plug on greece, which will have a devastating effect, certainly on southern europe. >> thanks for that analysis. >> has all the interest sparked by the moody's downgrade had any impact on stock markets? >> the average yield or interest rate that germany has to pay on its debt rose slightly due to the announcement from moody's from slightly below 1% to slightly above 1%. this demonstrates how little impact the news from moody's had on the markets. a scratch might have been announced to germany's image as a borrower. still, germany remains a class a bar or -- borrower. investors rather want to wait

and see instead of deciding for their direction. >> because of that approach, all you can see is red on the stock market boards at the moment. the dax falling down by 0.75%. euro stoxx -- just under 0.5%, rather. over to new york, where the dow at the moment is down just about the 12,500 mark. the euro down even further, $ 1.2058. not looking good. >> a lot of other action with the ratings agency today. spain's second-largest region said it would ask madrid to help its service to its regional debts. its debts are 42 billion euros, the most of any spanish region. marking anxiety about the debt

the spanish regions have posted yields on spanish bonds to over 7.5% this week. analysts say spain cannot afford to pay yields that high in the long term and may have to ask its european partners for a sovereign bailout on top of the bank bailout. >> the greek prime minister has promised to push ahead with the spending cuts and has lashed out at unnamed foreign officials for sabotaging his country's efforts to solve its problems. >> officials from the troika, the international and terry fund, the european commission, the european central bank, must decide whether to keep the country hooked up to a lifeline -- the international monetary fund, the european commission, and the european central bank. >> the greek prime minister told parliament that some foreign officials are predicting that greece will fail, thereby undermining the country's efforts.

he says he is confident his country can trim 12 billion euros from its budget and stay in the eurozone. >> we will prove that greece can pleasantly surprised both friends and opponents and even itself -- pleasantly surprise both friends and opponents and even itself. >> on tuesday, civil servants and pensioners were again out on the streets protesting. inspectors from the eu, imf, and european central bank are currently in greece to discuss those measures with the central government and will recommend whether athens should receive further assistance or not. >> another negative headline for europe's economic engine. >> debt troubles have caused a sharp drop in factory output. >> the economy has contracted at its fastest pace in more than three years with the service sector shrinking as well as manufacturing. >> the slowdown in german

industrial activity came as a surprise to many. many big companies have reported a drop in orders. factories are still busy, but mainly with processing past quarters. even service providers say they are noticing signs of a downturn. the purchasing managers' index for german factories initially rose after the global financial crisis, but when it falls below 50%, that signals a slowdown, and it has now sunk to 43.3%. many other eurozone countries expect a downturn in manufacturing, including france, germany's biggest trading partner. franz's statistics office said the business climate is the worst it has been in three years -- francis statistics office -- france's statistics office. >> the russian defense ministry said a destroyer group will

perform planned military maneuvers. >> moscow denied the claim is linked to the escalating conflict in syria, which today sought helicopters fired -- firing rockets near central aleppo. >> a rebel fighter posing on the record of a government take. the footage is said to come from aleppo, where heavy fighting has continued almost unabated since the weekend. the rebels also claimed they have brought parts of damascus under control, but they have been unable to hold the mall. this syrian state tv footage allegedly shows regime troops raiding homes in the district looking for rebels. each weapons seizure and advance is celebrating, although on both sides, victories are often short-lived. the fighting has devastated towns and driven civilians from their homes. this iraqi family once came here

for safety. now they are fleeing syria for iraq. >> the situation in iraq was unstable, but now, it is getting better. syria's situation is horrible. we could not even say in our house. the situation is terrible. >> the latest concern is that the regime might use chemical weapons or allow them to fall into the wrong hands. israel says if that happens, it will act. >> at the moment, we see the psyrians transfer chemical and biological weapons to hezbollah -- this is a red line for us, and from our point of view, we will act decisively and without hesitation or restraint. >> threats like that are likely to prompt more people to join the 100,000 who have already fled syria for the safety of neighboring countries. >> the egyptian president has announced a new prime minister

for the country, and he is a u.s.-educated former official at the african development bank. he was the minister of water resources and irrigation in the outgoing military-appointed government. >> on his facebook pitch, it says he owned a doctorate. it is unclear how much power he will have, given the ongoing influence of the military. the german city health services to commemorate those who died in the love parade two years ago. the music festival used to be one of germany's biggest, attracting visitors from all over the web. >> but a mass panic in 2010 cost 21 visitors their lives and ended for good, and it also cost the mayor his job after it was revealed that poor planning and cost-cutting played a role in the loss of life. >> two years after the tragedy, the city still mourns the loss of life.

it is difficult to find words for what happened. at one of the memorial services, one mother remembered her daughter. >> she still had so much to give, to love, so much experience left to laugh about. >> 21 people died in the crush weren't panicking crowds tried to get through the only title, the only entrance and exit to the festival. more than 500 others were injured. until now, no one has been charged in connection with the deaths. state prosecutors are still investigating. the mayor of the time was forced to step down from his office. speaking at a memorial service, his successor promised to be sensitive to the needs of survivors. >> i will be involved in all aspects of the city's investigation. i want a transparent and relentless investigation, but i also want to look to the future and show the city is more than just a tragedy. >> many survivors, family

members, and mourners gathered at the tunnel where the tragedy happened. they lit thousands of candles to show that they and the city will never forget those who did not make it out. >> hot, dry conditions across parts of southern europe have aggravated the massive wildfires burning there. hundreds of residents have been evacuated in croatia, macedonia. >> in spanish -- the spanish region of catalonia, traffic on several major roads was choked off, and several towns had to be evacuated. >> when we come back after a short break, as the aids conference in washington continues, we look at ways of preventing the beat the disease through education. and at our preview coverage of the olympics continues. a look at some of the athletes as they arrive in london. >> so do not go away.

>> welcome back. >> thanks for staying with us. efforts to reduce risky sexual behavior among u.s. high school students have stalled in the past decade, an urgent action is needed to stem hiv infection rates in young people, who account for nearly half of all new cases. >> the findings have been presented at the international aids conference in washington, where officials are calling for more safe sex education. >> we talked with a gun hiv- positive german delegate at the meeting was says he hopes his own experience might help others. >> boxing gloves are not any help it fight against hiv/aids. his weapon is his own personal experience. three years ago, he contracted the virus from sex with someone he knew. he was just 20 years old.

>> i never wanted to have sex again. i was disgusted and was afraid of infecting others. i lost all feeling for my body because i thought there was something inside me that did not belong there. >> he prefers to go by his first name only, but otherwise, he is open about what he has gone through. he has a full schedule, and all he sees of the host city is a window on the way to his next meeting. he says the conference is not about sightseeing. his aim is to increase awareness. >> it is a kind of therapy, talking about it. i can step back and reflect on what i have experience. today, i think differently about it than three years ago when it happened. >> at the washington branch of the guts to institute, marcel

spoke on the topic of aids prevention -- at the washington branch of the goethe institute. the minister says he is a good example in the fight against hiv/aids. >> people with hiv should be out there, part of society. we cannot let them be shut out any more. he is very engaging, speaking openly, and i think most people would have a hard time talking as openly as he does. he deserves respect. >> back at the conference site, there is a celebration of culture is on show at the global village. the book for germany's aids outreach organization is not as lavish as others -- the gross -- the booth, but the focus on sharing their successful projects. still, they keep their eyes out for new ideas. >> i have enjoyed the conference. i have met a lot of people i think i can learn a few things from. there's a lot of young people

here, something you do not see as much in germany. at home, there are not as many young people getting involved. here, there are large networks, and it is a goal i would like to take back to germany. >> the aim is to get more people to come forward and share their stories. it is a simple but effective tool in the fight against hiv/aids. >> earlier, we spoke with a consultant microbiologist at the university clinic in frankfurt and asked for him to describe for us the progress being made by science in combating hiv/aids. >> over the past 25 years of hiv research, we have come up with a broad spectrum of antiviral drugs that allow us now to effectively treat hiv infection, at least in western countries where we can afford to -- the cost of these medications, so that is quite substantial progress.

also, the pharmacological applications have improved so people nowadays only have to take one pill a day or sometimes two. that is certainly a huge advance. on the other hand, we are still faced with about 34 million hiv- infected individuals in the world, and many people, particularly in southern africa, do not have access to drugs or do not have sufficient medical infrastructure to actually support a good hiv medication. and, resistance development is a major concern in treating a chevy/infected patients, and currently, we have no cure. >> where do you think the focus should be? social and political measures to prevent aids, for medical treatment? >> i think we need to work on both fronts, and money needs to be invested in both of these areas. particularly in the third world, preventive measures are extremely important and have been proven to be effective in

reducing the incidence of hiv in southern african countries, so that is certainly a very important area, and propagating safer sex and sex education already starting at fairly young ages is very critical. on the other hand, we just have to intensify our efforts on the research side to find new drugs, to combat hiv replication, as well as try to improve and find new strategies to eradicate the virus from hiv/infected individuals. the major task we should all be focusing on, but that seems to be most unrealistic at this point, is really finding it prevented hiv vaccine. >> thank you so very much. >> onto some sports news now and the olympics. while it is still a secret which musicians will kick off the opening ceremony of the games on friday, many athletes are already making an

appearance. >> the polish a volleyball team showed some national pride in their clothing when they arrive. the russians went for a more casual look. of course, the equipment had to get past the customs inspectors. >> with the final countdown under way, sports fans around the world are eagerly awaiting some dramatic olympic events. >> he is already a legend. american swimmer michael phelps has won 14 olympic gold medals. for years, he was unbeatable in his discipline. but then came a period of weakness. he seemed to lack motivation and experienced several defeats. his countrymen is currently the most successful swimmer in the world. he has bested phelps several times. >> neither one of us want to lose. when we get in the water, we race as hard as we can.

>> it will be the final olympic games for the athlete who may be the best swimmer of all time. the american tennis player serena williams is the olympic'' second biggest star. this year's tennis match will be held at wimbledon, and she just had an impressive victory there, which brought an end to her dry spell. >> the process was tough, you know? just going out there and never giving up and having some tough losses in between. >> her toughest competition will likely be the top-ranked player from belarus, but germany could also pose a threat to williams, but many fans think that when williams is in top form, she is virtually unbeatable. similar things have been said

about sprinter bolt, who made history by becoming a triple medalist at the last olympics. he appears to have some serious competition this year. bolt is no longer untouchable, and if he wants to win the olympic gold, he will have to get it all he has got. -- he will have to give it all he has got. dam it is not like i was blown away or anything. -- >> it is not like i was blown away or anything. >> all three stars are out to prove to the world that they still have what it takes. >> our team in london will be bringing you the latest as it happens. right now, here's some soccer news -- hamburg has lost its friendly game to barcelona. >> the last thing counted two-

one in front of 57,000 spectators. the spaniards proved yet again that they are a powerful force in european soccer. hamburg fans had a dismal time last season as the club came closer allegation. that is an indignity they have never had to go through, and they are determined not to do so in the new season. >> the logo is derived from the ship signaling flags, and in the bustling harbor and is known throughout germany. the club has a rich history. many have left their mark, but none more than a player in 376 games during his career. he was an idol in hamburg, but he also remained modest. >> you cannot take it. whatever was in the newspapers or what people said, i always kept both my feet on the ground. >> in august 1963, the club

played its first match in the newly formed bundesliga. at the end of the first season, hamburg was in sixth place. >> it was a great time. yes, the bundesliga has come a long way since then. the good news is hammer has been around since the beginning. >> in the late 1970's, the club had a brilliant run, becoming german champions three times. the hamburg club was more popular than bayern-munich. >> they won the cup, but never really managed to get things going with marketing, said you cannot really say that they profited from the title. >> last season, hamburg struggle to avoid relegation and finished 15th. in preparations -- preparations for the new season have not gone smoothly, either.

member will have to pull things together quickly if it wants to stay the only club that has never dropped out of the bundesliga. >> in hong kong, a thai food has injured more than 100 people. forcing authorities to issue their first serious storm warning since 1999. >> fallen trees injured dozens, and a typhoon forced the cancellation of more than 270 flights. the storm is weakening as it moves inland. >> thanks for joining us. we will have more news again at the top of the hour. >> keep watching. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--